Whether you’re trying to learn about alternatives to smoking, wondering what type of vaping setup to buy, or trying to figure out what it is that makes vaping such a popular hobby, we have a beginner’s guide to starting vaping to help you out.

From disposable e-cigarettes to handheld portable vape devices that are perfect for on-the-go to larger, customizable mod kits with more power (and big vape clouds), there is something out there for every type of vape user.

Some enjoy puffing huge clouds of flavored e-juice (also called e-liquid) vapor when using a large vape mod at home, while others might prefer to vape from a small portable vape pen that is more discreet. There are vape devices of all sizes and complexity. And there are e-juices of many different flavors and varying nicotine levels.

As you jump into vape culture, you’ll see that it’s really a “choose your own adventure” kind of experience.

Plus it’s a lot of fun to vape, with nicotine or without nicotine. So we hope you enjoy your new vaping hobby.

You might be wondering, “How do I start vaping?”

That’s where this Beginner’s Guide to Vaping comes into play.

Think of it like a Vaping FAQ where we will cover the basics of hardware, e-liquids, coils, wicks and more so you can find what you need to start vaping.

Let’s start with the basics of vaping.

What Is Vaping?

Vaping at its simplest is the act of heating up a liquid with an electronic device to make vapor.

Basically, a vape device (whether the device is called an e-cig, mod, box, or pen) uses a battery to heat an internal coil that is wrapped with an e-juice soaked wicking device. The low heat produces vapor from the e-liquid that can be pleasantly inhaled.

Vaping is like breathing in moist air but with a flavor and perhaps a throat hit depending on how much nicotine you choose. Some like feeling the nicotine hit but others don’t want any nicotine at all in their vape juice. Higher levels of nicotine in e-liquid tend to produce less flavor, but are closer to what pack-a-day smokers are used to in terms of nicotine sensation. The lowest (all the way down to 0 mg e-juice) are richer in flavor but can have little to no throat hit. Again, it depends on what you prefer.

You can also customize your vaping experience by choosing from a seemingly endless amount of vape juice flavors from fruity, to minty, to rich, to milky. It’s fun to sample the flavors to find your favorites. You might consider setting aside some space at home to organize the collection of e-juice bottles you’re sure to collect as you find the best vape flavors for you.

High-end vape devices feature large tanks, atomizers, varied tips, replaceable batteries and other vape accessories. Simpler vape gear can also be purchased which are easy to use and require less knowledge on wattage and other technical details. You can truly customize the vaping experience you desire based on what you want and where you vape.

But what kind of device should you choose?

Some decide to go with multiple vape devices that have different purposes. A small disposable e-cigarette can easily fit in your pocket and doesn’t require upkeep. The costs can get high with disposable e-cigs, so many choose to use devices that can be reused again and again. Many of these come in starter kits that make the entry process simple.

Here’s a rundown of three different types of devices you can use to vape, from smallest to largest.

Pod devices

Like the popular Juul or Bo brands, these tiny vape pens fit between two of your fingers and feature swappable pods that contain the nicotine juice (usually made with nicotine salts), coil and wick. There’s no modification with these or refilling a tank.

When you’re done, you just pull out the empty pod and throw it away. It’s easy. Like the Bo One Starter Kit ($39.99 at cloudcountervapor.com), many of the portable pod vape brands sell all-in-one starter packs that include a sampling of pod flavors. This is a good way to get a sense of what the brand has to offer in terms of different tastes.

Vape Pens

Named after the variety that resembles the shape of pens, these smaller devices are typically larger than the pod devices, but they also allow you to fill them with whatever e-juice you choose.

The Aspire Breeze ($29.99 at cloudcountervapor.com) is a good example of a popular all-in-one vape device. It’s compact, but it also holds 2 ml of e-juice and you can change out the coils. Some of these smaller devices like the Aspire Breeze don't require you to press a button to heat the e-liquid, you just lightly inhale from the drip tip and it works like a Breeze.

Other vape pens are larger and longer and do have a button that’s used to turn on the heating element. The longer pen types also sometimes have replaceable tanks to fill with your favorite e-juice flavor, and like many other devices, they are often charged using a USB cable.

Vape Mods

These are usually palm-sized devices that often have myriad features like replaceable tanks, interactive menu screens, adjustable temperature and wattage control, and other fun customizable options. You can feel the power when you hold one of these in your hand and press the fire button. Mods let you change the wattage of your device to let you inhale the right amount of vapor for your mood.

If you’re feeling like puffing all day, you might want to turn the power down on your mod to decrease the amount of nicotine you inhale. But sometimes you just want to let it rip and blow huge clouds of vapor. You can do that too by cranking up your device.

An advantage of a mod device comes with its adjustability. You can turn most devices into whatever you want them to become. For example, the Revenger Mod by Voporesso ($79.99 here at cloudcountervapor.com) has a range of 5 to 220 watts. That’s a big power range for you to play around with.

Now you're on your way to becoming a vaping expert.

Do you have any questions or suggestions for other readers? Leave a comment below to join the discussion.